Short Film Treatment 

I want to create a psychological drama short film that explores the lived experience of anxiety and distorted perception. The story follows Jess, a 30-year-old woman living in South London, whose walk to her therapist’s appointment becomes an overwhelming ordeal as her anxiety intensifies, causing her to misinterpret those around her. What begins as a normal journey, quickly turns into a sensory and emotional assault, where every sound and glance feels threatening. The idea for my short film, stemmed from my interest in mental health disorders and how the world can be perceived differently for those who suffer from them.

Tyler Perry’s film Straw influenced me significantly. In the film the protagonist is consumed with grief, and this causes her to imagine the presence of her daughter. We watch her imagined day, and then we see what really happened - from where my idea for restarting the same day originated. 


Act 1

Begins in the protagonist's chaotic, cluttered home, we learn about her living environment and watch her getting ready to leave her house (her routine). We see pill boxes scattered across surfaces, plates and cooking equipment left out, clothes everywhere - a life far from organised, conveying her struggle. A secondary purpose of this beginning sequence is that there is a sense of her being watched. The camera acts as a person watching – we feel like we are spying on her, and this is how she feels all the time. As she goes through her routine (preparing a cup of tea, getting ready to leave), the camera lingers on her in a way that feels intrusive. Through this glimpse of her environment, we establish that she is living alone, which emphasises the feelings of fear later on in the short film. Act 1 demonstrates both Jess' inner turmoil and her vulnerability. 


Act 2 

We follow Jess on an uncertain, tense walk down the street – where she is going at this point is unknown. Throughout the walk, we observe her interactions with other people. There is a sense of others watching her, with close-ups of their faces and eyes. Each encounter is marked by subtle unease, illustrating how her internal anxiety forms her perception of the outside world. Jess receives a text message on her phone which momentarily heightens the tension even further, we do not know the context of who Dale is at this point. As she continues on her journey, the street feels increasingly distorted, mirroring her increased sense of vulnerability. The walk ends at a door - the entrance to her therapist's office. Dale opens the door and Jess hesitates before stepping inside, the camera shows the street behind her once more. This middle act builds suspense while deepening the audience's insight into Jess' mental state, we see her extreme level of anxiety when outside of her home and also begin to understand parts of the narrative - her journey was to her therapist, there is a sense of relief and also wonder about what exactly she is there for.

change 

Act 3

Act 3 brings Jess and the audience to a moment of realisation as we witness the walk repeated, which reveals the truth behind Jess' earlier perceptions and making it clear to the audience that she is struggling with her mental health. Crucially, the use of colour shifts and contrasting music will help signal the difference between her imagined experience of walking along the street and reality. Interactions with people who previously were scowling and seemed judgmental are now shown smiling, neutral, or offering small gestures of concern through dialogue, such as asking if Jess is okay. This makes it evident how distorted her sense of being watched and criticised had been. During this rewind of the walk, as well as contrasting music, dialogue from the therapist's office plays over the scene, creating further clarity for the audience so that they can establish the distinction between Jess' anxiety-driven perception and reality. The act concludes with a shot of Jess and Dale, her therapist speaking in his office - circling back to real time. 

Change for new storyline 

Key themes:

  • Mental health awareness 
  • ^ Mental illnesses - anxiety, agoraphobia, depression
  • Living in London as a woman, living alone 
  • Isolation vs connection 
  • Perception vs reality
  • Early adulthood/emerging adulthood 

  • Reflection and acceptance - reaching out for help 
  • Therapists mental health 
  • hidden mental health 




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